(SJRK) December 5, 2017 Partners Meeting Notes

Owned by Dana Ayotte
Dec 18, 2017
3 min read

  • Present

    • Alan

    • Bahati

    • Dana

    • Gregor

    • Juliana

    • James

    • Liam

    • Michelle

    • Sylvia

  • Discussion

    • Introductions for Bahati from UWEZO in Rwanda

    • James & Bahati are having connection issues

      • The challenges and barriers of limited technological infrastructure

  • Silvia

    • Two challenges this year:

      • To create an observatory of youth movements in Cartagena

      • An online space for youth movement to put info, histories, etc

      • Visualisation of environmental data from the Environmental Guardians youth group

        • Finish gathering data by end of January?

        • Gathering data on garbage dumping

        • Want to work together on how to visualize this data

        • Will send draft doc at beginning of January

      • They’re working with teachers from more technological areas in creating this software

      • There’s a lack of organization for/between the various youth movements in Cartagena

      • They’ll have the first version of their mockups this Friday, and they can share those with us

        • They would really appreciate our feedback on the mockups

      • Question: given different countries and different platforms, how do we link these platforms?

        • In the past, they’ve used things like Wordpress, incorporating the IDRC’s UIO plugin

        • Continue using the technology that you are comfortable with

        • SJRK website can link out to everything - build some structure around that - maybe each project could have a landing page or something like that

      • Second question: should they propose a different logo for this site? Can we all have input into the design of the site/platform?

        • Consider a co-design session for this site, working with the young people who will be using it

      • Third question: how to connect all the youth we are working with through social media?

        • Have joint account(s)?

        • Have some facility for the young people in all parts of the world to connect with each other

        • Independently of language

          • We might need to translate the content into Kinyarwanda, for instance, to remove barriers

          • Skype, for instance, has introduced an interface where there is automatic interpretation between students speaking Chinese and English

          • The storytelling tool may address these questions. It is one way that youth can connect. It could also maybe be used as a conversation platform?

  • James

    • Rwanda introduced “smart-pay” using ATM cards (load money on the card)

    • As a result many young people were laid off as conductors/fare collectors

    • Young people help to carry or transport luggage, market wares at informal markets

    • Interviewed some of these young people

    • Also talked to some young people outside of Kigali, 90km away in the mountains

    • A broad definition of “disability” including lack of access to education

    • Many young people using WhatsApp, even if they aren’t well-versed in using a keyboard on a computer

    • Challenges - finding time for interview as the young people are busy working, noise of passing trucks, etc.

    • Will try to dig deeper next week

    • James is extending stay in Rwanda in order to have more time (until December 20th)

    • Reaching out to the youth organizations in the next week or so to find out to what extent they integrate inclusive design in their approaches

    • Last Sunday International Day of Persons with Disability - Uwezo launched a centre for youth to learn about ICT, computers, etc.

    • Develop user-friendly Android apps

    • Ways of communicating information to both smartphone users and those without

  • Juliana

    • Two groups of young people, which are very different

      • Fresno

      • Medellin

    • Last week, shared a session with a different group of young people, not from this project, like an art workshop

    • And i found A strong feeling of apathy on the part of the young people

    • Worried about facing same situation in Fresno, likely not in Medellin

    • Fresno - young people from a school

    • Arranged a meeting with a young writer and teacher who has experience working with marginalized youth groups

    • Wants to create a group with this writer and maybe someone else, to design the process of storytelling

    • There is a lack of identity with rural youth - they don’t feel like country people but they are not urban citizens

      • They use tech but just for the most basic communications needs.

      • As a result they don’t feel like they have any story to tell

      • They aspire to leave the country. They don't want to work in the country (of course because there is not many options)

    • How to engage them to talk about their lives and dreams?

    • Fresno - it’s about opportunities and options - if they

    • Hector travelled to Fresno 2 weeks ago - he thinks they are more excited,

    • Jaquer EsCool - working with themes of self-care, ancestral knowledge, body image and technology.

    • Talking about how sometimes, efforts are not successful, but this can be used as a learning experience

    • Strategies for re-engagement of the disengaged - that is core to our project

  • Liam